Ruth 2:10

Ruth 2:10 says, Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?  Ruth fell on the ground and asked Boaz why she, a stranger, had found grace in his eyes.  As followers of Christ, this is a question that we could ask God every day, because when we were but a stranger to Him, we found grace in His eyes.  Verse eleven adds, And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.  Boaz said that he knew all that Ruth had done for her mother-in-law, leaving her own people to come to a strange land to help provide for her.  How much are we willing to give up to provide for the spiritual and even physical needs of others today?  Verse twelve continues, The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.  Boaz then gave the credit to God for protecting and providing for Ruth.  He did not claim the honor for himself.  If we help those in need today, as Christians we must make sure that we give God the credit.  Verse thirteen states, Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.  Ruth asked that she might find favor with Boaz, even if she wasn't like the other maidens around him.  We likewise need to treat those that we encounter with kindness out of the love of God, even if they are not like us.  Verse fourteen adds, And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the readers, and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.  Boaz invited Ruth to come and share with him at mealtime.  Sometimes, the first thing we may be able to do is to ensure that others have enough to eat and offer them our hospitality.  Verse fifteen continues, And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:  When Ruth got up to glean again, Boaz told the young men working for him to allow her to glean even among the areas that hadn't been harvested.  He was allowing her to gather more than just the leftovers, and when it comes to helping others today, we should be willing to allow them more than just the leftovers of what God has blessed us with.  Verse sixteen says, And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.  Boaz told his servants to not only allow Ruth to glean, but to also leave a little more behind.  We likewise should be willing to give to others in need more than just the remnants of what God has blessed us with.  Verse seventeen adds, So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.  After gleaning all day, Ruth then separated the barley from the chaff, and she had about four pecks worth.  Verse eighteen continues, And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.  Ruth returned that night to where she and Naomi were staying, not only with the barley, but also with some of the food that she had been given at lunch.  She had not simply eaten the good food herself, but she was concerned with Naomi as well.  Verse nineteen states, And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.  Naomi was curious as to where Ruth had been gleaning, and Ruth told her in the field of a man called Boaz.  Like Naomi, we should be curious as to what our children are doing in the world today.  Verse twenty adds, And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.  Naomi said that Boaz was a near kinsman of theirs, but he was related to Ruth by marriage only.  Still, we are told when a man and a woman are married that they become one flesh, so family of each spouse becomes the family of the other spouse.  I am not sure why Naomi had not gone to Boaz for help, but it may have been that she had been gone so long that she forgot him.  Verse twenty-one continues, And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.  Ruth told Naomi that Boaz had told her to keep close to his young men, to work behind them only and for no other reason.  He was looking out for Ruth in his own way.  People do not necessarily know everything that we are doing to help them out today, but we need to rely on God to direct our help that He might be glorified.  Verse twenty-two says, And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.  Ruth told Naomi to not go to any other field but to continue to glean in Boaz's field and to continue to associate with his maidens.  Verse twenty-three adds, So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.  Ruth continued to work in Boaz's field until the harvest was over.  Then there would be the new problem of what they would do then.  God had provided for them so far, even if they did not recognize it, and He will provide for us today, if we are followers of Christ, whether we always recognize it or not.